2015 Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban, 2015 GMC Yukon/Yukon XL First Look

Body-On-Frame Brutes are Better Than Ever

Soccer moms and NASCAR dads, your new ride awaits. Today, General Motors pulled the wraps off the new 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and extended-wheelbase Suburban, as well as its GMC twins, the 2015 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL. Like the related Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, the new full-size body-on-frame SUVs are both more refined and economical than ever, while retaining the utility they've become known for.

Unlike the Tahoes and Yukons of yesteryear, the new Chevy and GMC full-size SUVs share even less with the Silverado and Sierra than ever, with Chevy going so far as to say that "no exterior sheet metal panel or lighting element is shared with Chevrolet's full-size pickups." We'd certainly say that's the case. Though the 2015 Tahoe and Suburban have an in-your-face split chrome grille like the Silverado (standard on all models), the latest take on Chevy's stacked headlight treatment couldn't be any more different, with an almost Ford Explorer/Range Rover-like look to it. Projector-beam headlights come standard on the new Tahoe and Suburban, with HIDs with LED running lights standard on the loaded Tahoe and Suburban LTZ. The previous-generation Tahoe and Suburban's roundish jelly bean-like profile is gone, in its place is handsome, slab-sided, and chiseled sheet metal, lending the Chevys a truck-ish quality.The 2015 GMC Yukon shares the GMC corporate grille with the Sierra, and that's about it. The headlights are an evolution of those found on the outgoing Yukon, with standard C-shaped LED lighting elements in both the head- and taillights. The Escalade-lite 2015 GMC Yukon Denali takes the same basic package and adds the chrome Denali grille, HID headlights, and 20-inch wheels.Aside from the Yukon Denali, both SUV families come standard with 18-inch wheels, with 20- and 22-inch wheels optional. Both the Tahoe/Suburban and Yukon/Yukon XL have been fitted with an aluminum hood and tailgate and a rear spoiler with a hidden wiper in an effort to further improve fuel economy.Not surprisingly, GM's new EcoTec3 engines also found in the Silverado/Sierra make an appearance under the hood of the new 2015 Yukon and Tahoe. The 2015 Chevy Tahoe and Suburban are available with one powetrain, the new 5.3-liter V-8 making 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic. The 2015 Yukon and Yukon XL get the same 5.3-liter V-8/six-speed combo, while Yukon Denali models come with the range-topping 6.2-liter V-8 making 420 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. Chevy Tahoe/Suburban LTZs, and GMC Yukon/XL Denalis also get GM's magnetic ride control standard.As before, the 2015 Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Yukon XL are available in rear-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive, with the 2015 Yukon Denali family coming with rear- or all-wheel drive. Depending on configuration, the new full-size GMC and Chevy SUVs are rated to tow between 7800 and 8500 pounds, thanks in part to a fully-boxed high-strength steel frame. Like the pickups, the GM full-size SUVs now sport fuel saving measures including cylinder de-activation, electronic throttle control, and electric power steering.Though both the 2015 Tahoe/Yukon and Suburban/Yukon XL ride on wheelbases identical to the outgoing models, they're a bit smaller than before, thanks once again to fuel economy concerns. Yes, all four SUVs are about two-inches longer than before, and the Suburban and Yukon XL are about an inch wider, but the Tahoe and Yukon are around 1.5 inches narrower, and all four body-on-frame brutes are around two-inches shorter than before, improving their aerodynamic profile and thus, fuel economy.Taking a cue from GM's full-size pickups, the insides of the 2015 GMC Yukon twins and the 2015 Chevy Suburban and Tahoe are reportedly more refined than ever. Both Chevy and GMC promise quieter cabins, thanks to inlaid doors, a more aerodynamic profile, and on the Yukon Denali, active noise canceling and a laminated windshield. Though both the Chevrolet and GMC SUVs share the same interior layout with up to six USB ports, six power outlets, and an eight-inch touchscreen (standard on the GMCs, optional on the Chevys), there are some differences. The Tahoe and Suburban feature the same six-gauge instrument panel as the Silverado, while the Yukon's three-ringed instrument panel has a reconfigurable center display for infotainment options.Both the Chevy and GM utes now feature fold-flat second- and third-row seats (power-folding units are optional), boosting utility and ease-of-use for the suburban lifestyle. Passengers in the second row are also likely to be more comfortable, thanks to two extra inches of legroom versus the old model. Other new features include a dual-screen, Blu-Ray rear-seat entertainment system for the 2015 Suburban and Yukon XL.The new GM SUVs are available with safety tech like forward collision alert, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and the vibrating Safety Alert Seat that debuted on the Cadillac XTS. And given that they are historically among the most-stolen vehicles in the United States, GM has fitted the 2015 models with new anti-theft measures including window or glass break sensors, and vertical-movement and interior movement sensors. Triggering a sensor will trigger the alarm and shut down key control systems, making the Chevy and GMC SUVs almost impossible to start or move, according to GM.Built in everything-is-bigger-in Texas, the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and the 2015 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL are expected to hit dealerships in the first quarter of 2014. Pricing and EPA fuel economy will be announced closer to launch.